The Rules of Billiards and Snooker

The following is a basic set of instructions for the friendly play of
the game of Billiards and Snooker including additional comments designed
to assist with the understanding of the game. Note: 1 foot = 30.48
cm

Billiards

Equipment

A full-size Billiards table measures twelve feet by six feet, one and
a half inches and has a baize-covered slate bed. The four edges
of the table feature rubber edges covered in baize called "cushions".
Six "pockets" are situated one at each corner plus one at the
centre of each long side of the table into which the balls can drop.
The six pockets normally have a net or a small collecting channel to catch
the balls. Two feet, five inches from one end, a line is drawn across
the table called the "baulk" line. Any ball between the
baulk line and the nearest end is generally referred to as being "in
baulk". A semi-circle is inscribed within the baulk area with
is axis as the middlepoint of the baulk line and with a radius of eleven
and a half inches. This semi-circle is termed the "D".
At the other end of the table, twelve and three-quarter inches
from the end cushion, a spot is centrally inscribed as a starting point
for the red ball.

The cue ball is struck with tapered sticks featuring a striking tip called
"cues". The cue tips are chalked to prevent a slippery
contact with the ball. There is almost always an additional accessory
available called a "rest" which is like a cue with a cross on
the end upon which the cue can be rested to extend its playing length.
Quite often, a "full-butt" and a "half-butt" are also
available - these are much longer rests with arched fixments on the end
that come with their own long cues for playing very long shots.

Billiards is played with one red ball and two white cue balls, one with
a small black spot and one without.

The Start

A doubles game is occasionally played but the game is usually singles.
One player chooses to play with the white cue ball and the other the spotted
white cue ball. To begin with, players play their cue ball from
within the D down the table so that it bounces back up the table and comes
to rest in baulk. The player whose ball is closest to the baulk
cushion chooses to go first or second. Most players prefer to go
second because the first turn occurs with only two balls on the table
- a severe limitation.

The game starts with the red ball on it's spot and the cue ball of the
starting player placed in the D at the front of the table. Players
agree how many points will constitute a game and the objective is merely
to be the first to score than number. A typical number for expert
players might be 1000 points - professionals regularly score more than
this in a single break. Beginners might consider 150 as a more appropriate
target.

Basic Play

Each turn is called a "break" and consists of a series of strikes
of the cue ball that come to an end when a player makes a non-scoring
strike or a foul stroke. Scoring is achieved by "potting"
balls, by "cannons", and by going "in off".
A ball is "potted" when the cue ball knocks it into a pocket.
A "cannon" is when the cue ball strikes first one ball and then
the other. A player's ball goes "in off" when it falls
into a pocket having first "kissed" (struck) another ball.

Whenever the red ball is potted, it is immediately returned to the red
spot for the next strike. Whenever the cue ball goes in off, it
is immediately returned to the player who can position it anywhere within
the D for the next strike. If the opponents ball is potted, it remains
out of play until the end of that player's break. In this case,
the opponent starts the next turn by positioning his ball anywhere within
the D. Otherwise the opponent starts the next turn by striking the
ball from wherever it ends up. Potting the opponents ball is usually
to be avoided since scoring is much harder with only two balls on the
table.

Foul shots

A foul occurs when a player's ball hits no other balls in which case
1 point is added to the opponent's score or when the player's ball goes
directly into a pocket without hitting any other ball whereupon 3 points
are given to the opponent. It will quickly be seen, however, that
the size of these penalties are trivial compared to the injury suffered
merely as a result of allowing the opponent onto the table.....

Scoring

3 points for potting or going in off the red ball.

2 points for potting or going in off the opponents ball.

2 points for a cannon.

Scoring is cumulative within a single strike so for instance, a common
play is to both pot and go in off the red ball, thus scoring 6 points.
The cue ball is deemed to go in off the first ball that it comes into
contact with. So if the player strikes the opponents ball, cannons
onto the red ball and then goes in off, 4 points are scored. The
largest score possible in one strike is 10 points although, since this
requires the opponents ball to be potted, it is is normally a bitter-sweet
achievement.

Special Situations

When the player's ball finishes touching another ball, the red is put
on its spot, the other player's white is placed on the centre spot, and
the player must return his ball to the D.

Snooker

Equipment

Snooker is played upon a Billiards table and uses the same cues and standard
equipment. Different balls are used, though - one white cue ball
is used by both players together with 15 red balls worth 1 point each
and 6 coloured balls worth differing points viz:

Yellow - 2 points - initially placed on the right corner of the D
as looked at from baulk.

Green - 3 points - initially placed on the left corner of the D as
looked at from baulk.

Brown - 4 points - initially placed on the middle of the baulk line
directly between the yellow and green balls.

Pink - 6 points - initially placed on a spot midway between the blue
ball and the end cushion.

Black - 7 points - initially placed on the spot used for the red ball
in Billiards - twelve and three-quarter inches from the middle of the
end cushion.

The fifteen red balls are set in a triangle (using a special triangular
frame) between the pink and the black balls so that the triangle points
towards baulk with the red at the tip almost but not quite touching the
pink ball.

In addition to the rest and the butts of the Billiards table, a three
other special rests are sometimes available called "spider",
"extended spider" and "swan neck". These are
rests with special fixments on the end to gain additional height as well
as length.

The Objective and the Start

The objective is to score more points that the opponent by potting balls
and, less commonly, by playing snookers that will force the opponent to
make a foul stroke and thus give points away. Players flip a coin
to decide who goes first. To prepare for the first shot, the player
concerned sets the cue ball anywhere within the D so that it can be aimed
at a red ball.

Basic Play

Each turn is called a "break" and consists of a series of strikes
of the cue ball that come to an end when a player makes a non-scoring
strike or a foul stroke. While there are reds on the table, a break
must always start by potting a red. When a red has been potted
the player must next pot a nominated coloured ball (if it is not obvious
which colour is being aimed at, the player is required to orally make
this clear). A coloured ball that has been potted after a red is
immediately returned to the table on its home spot. After a coloured
ball, another red ball must be potted followed by a colour and so on until
there are no red balls left. After the final red ball and its accompanying
colour have been potted, the balls must be potted in order starting with
yellow and finishing with black.

In all cases, the next ball to be potted or colour nominated to be potted
must be the first ball struck by the cue-ball or a foul shot is declared.
So when a player has next to pot a red ball, if a ball other than a red
ball is struck first, it is a foul stroke.

As soon as the break comes to an end the other player has a chance to
make a break which must always start with a red ball if there are any
left, regardless of how the last break ended. The cue ball must
be played from where it finished after the previous shot unless it went
in-off. Once all the reds have been potted breaks start with the
lowest value colour and continue through to the black ball.

Points are scored according to the value of each ball potted.

Snooker is not all about potting balls - very often it is more advantageous
to play safe by putting the cue ball into a position such that the the
opponent will find the next shot very difficult to play or to score from.
Whenever a player is not able to directly play the ball to be struck with
a straight shot, that player is said to be "snookered" on that
ball. In this case the opponent is required either to swerve the
white ball around another ball or to bounce the cue ball off one or more
cushions in order to hit the target ball. With either type of shot,
it is difficult to judge the outcome and so the player who engineered
the snooker has a good chance either of winning points because the opponent
plays a foul shot or at least benefiting from a good position for the
next turn.

Common Foul shots

A foul shot is declared in any of the following scenarios.

The cue-ball strikes first a ball other than the next ball to be potted
or the colour nominated to be potted.

Whenever the cue ball goes in-off (into a pocket) or leaves the table.
The ball is placed anywhere in the D by the next player before the next
strike.

Whenever an incorrect ball is potted. For instance, if the red
is being played but the blue ball gets knocked into the pocket.

The player who committed a foul stroke receives no points for that stroke
even if a legitimate ball was potted and the break is over. However,
any points made in the break prior to the foul shot are kept.

Whenever a foul stroke is committed, the opponent receives some penalty
points viz:

If the ball being played is the black or the foul occurred because
the black ball was struck first incorrectly or potted incorrectly, then
seven points are forfeited.

If the ball being played is the pink or the foul occurred because
the pink ball was struck first incorrectly or potted incorrectly, then
six points are forfeited.

If the ball being played is the blue or the foul occurred because
the blue ball was struck first incorrectly or potted incorrectly, then
five points are forfeited.

Otherwise four points are forfeited.

Where more than one foul occurs in one stroke, only one penalty applies
but it is always the largest applicable penalty. So if a red is
being played and the player misses hits the yellow first, pots the green
and goes in-off, only four points are awarded to the opponent. However,
if the brown is being played and the player hits it first but accidentally
knocks it onto the pink ball which falls into a pocket, six points are
awarded to the opponent.

Some rules apply to the turn following a foul stroke viz:

After any foul shot, the player who would normally play next may choose
to allow the fouling player to take the next shot, instead.

If, following a foul shot, the next player is is snookered, that player
may take a "free ball". In this case, the player has
the option to play any ball on the table as if it was the ball that
should properly be played next. Thereafter play continues normally.
So if a free ball occurs on a red, the player may play any colour
as if it were a red, after which a coloured ball is nominated.
The shot after that would be on a red ball if available - the yellow
otherwise. If a free ball occurs on a coloured ball after all
the reds are potted, the player will attempt to pot any nominated ball
and the next shot will revert to the lowest value ball.

Less oft-used rules

If the cue-ball ever comes to rest touching another ball, a "touching
ball" is called. If the ball being touched is the ball to be
played or is nominated as such by the player, then the player is counted
as having played the ball already. Regardless, the player must
play away from the ball in order to avoid playing an illegal push shot.

Sometimes a coloured ball that has been potted after a red cannot be
returned to the table on its home spot due to being covered by another
ball. In this case, the spot of the black is used or, if that is
not available, the pink spot and so on down to the yellow spot.
If none of the spots are available, then the ball is placed on an imaginary
line through the black and pink spots as close to the black spot as possible
from the end of the table.

Less common foul shots are listed below:

If the player plays a "push shot". This happens if
the targeted ball is close to the cue ball and the cue tip is still
in contact with the cue-ball when it strikes the target ball.

In the case of a "touching ball", the player must play away
from the ball - if it moves then it is a push shot and a foul.

If the cue-ball hops over the ball being aimed at, this is deemed
a "jump shot" and is a foul stroke.

If the cue-ball is struck twice.

If a ball is touched before it has finished rolling.

If the player strikes the cue ball without at least one foot touching
the floor.

The End

Eventually all balls except the black have been potted. At this
stage, if the difference in score is more than seven points, the game
ends since it is only sporting to assume that a player will not miss a
direct shot and so there is no way for the losing player to win.
Otherwise, the last ball is potted in the usual way.

If the game is drawn, then the black is re-spotted and the cue ball is
moved to and played from anywhere within the D. The players flip
a coin to decide who plays first and play continues. The player
who pots the black wins the game.

At any point during the game a player can resign the game. A player
would normally resign when the score is such that even with all the balls
and two or three snookers he would not overtake the other player.